Day: December 18, 2018

AAWD’s 2018 Chapter of the Year
From left are Dr. Lisa Itaya (faculty advisor), Caitlin Ha (treasurer), Hilary Parsons (secretary), Sammy Lee (president), Caitlin Konicek (social events chair), Shivali Bhatt (wellness chair), Victoria Saykally (advocacy and community service chair), Sarah Osborne (public relations chair), and Michelle Comroe (membership chair).
Not pictured: Sonal Anand (Vice President), Sarah Baik (social events chair), James Ichiuji (public relations), and Lizzie Santos (mentorship chair).

The student chapter at the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry was recognized for “the positive impact it has had on the dental school community this year through the many unique events that the chapter has organized.”

These events included:
- Hosting 16 successful events, raising more than $600.
- Donating over $1000 to nonprofit organizations and charities.
- Hosting multiple educational and social events (seminar discussions, health and wellness events,
  networking socials and philanthropic events).
- Conducting a school-wide survey to better connect and mentor Pacific AAWD members with community dentists.
- Developing their own study to assess how students feel about recognizing and responding to domestic violence.
- Organizing an oral health fair for the families of a nonprofit organization in San Francisco.
- Performing free dental screenings and provided a referral list of community dental clinics.
Although this was the first year the Pacific AAWD student chapter has been recognized as an official chapter of the national AAWD, the chapter “has opened opportunities for leadership and mentorship, not only among female dental students, but for the dental school community as a whole. In all, the work the chapter has done this year has been very noteworthy to supporting the AAWD mission.”
December 18, 2018
AAWD’s 2018 Student of the Year

Britney D. Lewis
Dental College of Georgia, Augusta University

Britney Lewis has demonstrated leadership, service and a strong commitment to serve her community. Recognized by her nominators for her “passion for service and for bringing this organization as a resource for her fellow female classmates and faculty members,” Britney Lewis helped to launch her school’s first chapter of the American Association of Women Dentists.

As the founding president of her campus AAWD chapter, Britney has worked diligently to lead an organization that upholds the mission of AAWD to advance and enrich the lives of women dentist through events, mentorship, and service. By introducing AAWD to the Dental College of Georgia, Britney led her team to establish a resource for students, faculty, and staff to collaborate, encourage, mentor and share collegiality while making advancements in the fields of dentistry.

December 18, 2018
2018 AAWD/Colgate Research Awards

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Devon Allison
University of Maryland
School of Dentistry
Investigation of the Application of RNA-Seq in Quantitation of Gene Expression by Microbial Populations in Patients with Agressessive Periodontitis
Principal Investigators
Mark Shirtliff, PhD
Kuei-Ling Hsu, DDS

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Brittney Ciszek
University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill School of Dentistry
Implementation of a Prenatal Oral Health Program: Benefits, Barriers, and
Goals for the Future
Principal Investigator
Rocio Quinonez, DMD, MS, MPH

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Ariana Dela Cruz
Boston University Henry M. Goldman
School of Dental Medicine
Decoding Early Molecular Changes in Sjögren’s Syndrome
Principal Investigator
Maria Kukuruzinska, PhD

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Anusha Etikala
University of Michigan School of Dentistry
Epigenetic Regulatory
Mechanisms in Human Periodontitis
Principal Investigator
Rogerio Castilho, DDS, MS, PhD

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Savannah Lancaster
University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Dentistry
Effect of Hydrochloric Acid on Surface Roughness on Glazed CAD/CAM Ceramics
Principal Investigators
Alexander Dozier, BS
James Simon, DDS, MS
Mojdeh Dehghan, DDS
Brian Morrow, BS
Mohammad Shafter, PhD
Franklin Garcia-Godoy, DDS, MS, PhD

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Ji Yoo Lee
Indiana University School of Dentistry
Effect of Various Concentrations of
Double Antibiotic Paste on Biofilm Formation Induced by Oral Bacterial Species and Nicotine
Principal Investigator
Richard L Gregory, PhD

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Chrystopher Perez
Western University of Health Sciences College of Dental Medicine
Anxiety Reduction and Oral Health Promotion for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Principal Investigator
Yawen Peng, DMD

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Mengyi Shi
University of Alabama at
Birmingham School of Dentistry
Periodontal Inflammation Changes in
Women with Pregnancy Gingivitis
Principal Investigator
Mia Geisinger, DDS, MS

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Nancy Epstein
Tufts University School of Dental Medicine
Brand Matched Effect on Fluoride Release of Restorative Materials through Bonding Agents
Principal Investigators
Steven Eisen, DMD

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Eugenia Monaghan
University of North Carolina School of Dentistry
Effects of a Caspase-1 Inhibitor on the Inflammatory Process in Experimental Periodontitis
Principal Investigator
Julie T. Marchesan, DDS, PhD

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December 18, 2018
AAWD Honors Women in Military

Lieutenant Jane Han, DMD

The American Association of Women Dentists (AAWD) awarded Lt. Jane Han (U.S. Navy), DMD, with the 2018 Federal Services Award on October 6, 2018, during the 97th AAWD Annual Conference. The Federal Services Award recognizes the achievements made by an AAWD member dentist in the Federal Services arena. The award is presented to a woman dentist who exhibits role model qualities that positively reflect the image of women dentists and commitment to the profession.

Dr. Jane Han grew up in Jacksonville, Florida, where she attended the University of North Florida. She gained a deep appreciation for the opportunities given to her and wanted to give back to our country, so she joined the U.S. Navy through the Health Professions Scholarship Program. Dr. Han earned her Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine. Upon graduation, she commissioned as a lieutenant and worked as a general dentist at Marine Corp Recruit Depot Parris Island in Beaufort, South Carolina. Dr. Han currently serves aboard the USS New York, homeported in Mayport, Florida. She has taken a special interest in tobacco cessation among the sailors and marines.

In her nomination, Dr. Han was praised for being a “role model for all sailors to aspire to become. Along with providing the best dental care to her crew, she always volunteers for extra duties to foster teamwork and inclusiveness.” In addition to providing dental care, Dr. Han has demonstrated her commitment to dentistry by mentoring U.S. Navy corpsmen and Marines, who plan to apply to dental school in the future.

As the only female department head, Dr. Han is a role model for other women in the Navy, as she encourages and inspires them to higher leadership positions.

For more information about the American Association of Women Dentists or about the Federal Services Award, contact the AAWD national office at 800-920-2293 or send an email to awards@aawd.org.

December 18, 2018